The Monthly Themes
Courtesy of Soul Matters Sharing Circle
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Created by PeacePeg |
“There is a quality of listening that is possible among a circle of human beings, who by their attentiveness to one another create a space in which each person is able to give voice to the truth of his or her life. There is the miracle of authentic narrative, made possible by listening that holds still long enough to let the truth be told. Where there is this kind of listening and speaking, a new kind of community is born – a community of life.”
– Rebecca Parker, Unitarian Theologian
Each month, our theme focuses us on aspiritual value that our faith tradition has historically honored and emphasized. So with each meeting, we are reminded that our faith dreams of a preferred way for us to be in the world, challenging each of us to ask “What does it mean to live a life with these particular values front and center?” There’s an important reminder here: Unitarian Universalism is not a religion of “anything goes.” Rather our faith has a unique vision of the good life. Yes, we affirm personal choice and individuality, but there are some core values that our faith asks all of us to engage, take seriously and apply to our daily living.
Minister
Rev. Sara LaWall
Sara’s Summer Schedule:
I want to thank all of you for another wonder-filled year! We accomplished some fabulous things together like launching the new Inquirers Series for Newcomers, using our monthly spiritual themes throughout congregational life, and been present in major ways for justice efforts in the wider community (just to name a few). It is an honor and privilege to serve this fellowship and I look forward to another great year!
I will be on a combination of work travel, study leave, and vacation through the end of July with limited access to email. Here is my summer schedule:
June 26 – July 3: Vacation and visiting with family in Tucson, AZ
July 9: in the pulpit at BUUF
“The UU Justice League”
Explore the spiritual themes of the summer blockbuster, Wonder Woman, woven together with stories from our annual UU General Assembly and our collective superpowers in serving the call for justice.
July 24 – 30:
Vacation rafting trip on the middle Salmon
The remainder of July I will be on Study Leave doing planning for next year, reading, and spiritual practice. I will return to the office on August 1st. In the event of a pastoral emergency, the staff and the Congregational Care Team can reach me. I wish you all a wonderful summer full of fun, adventure, and rejuvenation!
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Message from Your President
Matthew Sabin
Greetings BUUF,
A month short of a year ago I went to my first Board meeting as a member of that Board. The last time I attended a Board meeting was over 4 years prior. I figured I knew a bit about what the Board did, and I guess I was right – mostly.
Three things surprised me.
First: the Board spent time at the beginning of each meeting sharing one members’ personal story, getting to know each other a bit better, then centering ourselves with a review of our covenant. Words which called me a year ago, and if anything are more inspiring now, as I better grasp what the Board is up to.
Second: We spent more time on what BUUF is up to in the world and how we’re doing getting it done than on the specifics of what was getting done, more on this later.
Third: Work finished on time.
What made this Board experience so different wasn’t just that I was a part of it rather than visiting, but that the Board in recent years has begun remaking itself – from what is sometimes called a “Working Board” into what I’ll call a “Governing Board.”
This isn’t to say that we don’t “work,” so much as to say we work more on the policy which governs work at BUUF and less time on the day-to-day doing and decision making of the congregation.
In the coming year we are going to be presenting more of the work of the Governance Task Force (Roger Sherman, Allie Gooding, Jim Bigelow, Marcia Lyons, & Bill Reid) as they complete components of the policies which will guide BUUF into the years to come.
I’m excited to work with the Board and BUUF Leadership in the coming year, especially as we embark on the first step of planning our future with the Next Steps Weekend, September 15th – 17th. From which our Strategic Planning Task Force (Shaylee O’Connor, Ann Sabin, Roger Sherman, Scott Smith, and Lori Watsen) will begin working toward a Strategic Plan for BUUF’s next several years.
About me: I’m a proud father, a Network Engineer who’d rather be in the kitchen baking and brewing, a lifelong questioner and UU since my dear friend Ruth needed a ride to the Corvallis UU church one Sunday 25 years ago. I spoke at BUUF about finding ones own Ministry a few years ago and have been exploring mine even more deeply since. Being on the Board has caused some upheaval in my my own interpretation of Ministry – ask me over an espresso some time 😉
I’m still a bit in awe of Lori and the amazing job she’s done leading the Board and BUUF this last year – thanks Lori, I plan to lean on you quite a bit as Past President while I get up to speed.
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News from RE
Exploring our Roots with Youth in Boston
Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious Exploration
For six days this past June, 15 of our junior high youth, ages 12-14, along with six adult chaperones, ventured to Boston for our bi-annual Boston bounder heritage pilgrimage as a culmination of their eight-month Coming of Age program. Averaging 7.5 miles of walking every day (and nearly 20 flights of daily elevation change) and exploring our Unitarian, Universalist, and United States roots and history, this merry band built beloved community, enthusiastically and joyfully represented our Boise UU Fellowship, and were transformed. Our congregation’s generosity and their parents’ dedication were integral parts of the preparations for the pilgrimage and these youth did us all proud. You can learn more about this transformative experience when the Boston Bounders present their experiences in a Sunday’s services in October, but for now, click here for a brief glimpse of our trip, from the Roxbury House we stayed in to the flight home.
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Plate Partner Votes are in!
Votes are in for the 2017-2018 Plate Partners! Votes were cast through the BUUF traditional ‘bean vote’ over the course of two weeks, and were counted by members of the staff.
Like last year, the Social Justice Council received the plate partner nominations from the community, and narrowed the numbers down to 16 nominees, and our congregants voted for 9 plate partners. The other 3 partners are our own “Pay it Forward Fund,” our Partner Church Scholarship Fund, and the Religious Exploration plate partner.
Without further ado, your 2017-2018 plate partners!
1. Planned Parenthood of Idaho
We are also continuing our monthly themes for 2017-2018. The worship committee and Rev. Sara will pair our plate partners with our monthly themes. The themes for the coming worship year are:
September 2017 – Welcome
October 2017 – Courage
November 2017 – Abundance
December 2017 – Hope
January 2018 – Intention
February 2018 – Perseverance
March 2018 – Balance
April 2018 – Emergence
May 2018 – Creativity
June 2018 – Blessing
July 2018 – (no theme)
August 2018 – (no theme)
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Tarpage Artpiece by Melissa “Sasi” Chambers. See Melissa’s artwork www.melissasasichambers.com |
July’s Plate Partner:
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity
Everyone deserves a home,
Come folks, let’s start to build it
We’ll help you and you help us,
Together those nails we’ll hit.
Watch your family’s dream come true,
We pour our sweat, our love, our joy.
Giving you shelter, safe and secure,
The partnership model we employ.
Building hope as we build homes,
Creating community,
Volunteers alongside those skilled,
Hearts intertwined in unity.
Wanda Jennings
June, 2017
Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity
Our Vision A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Our Mission Statement Seeking to put God’s love into action; Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
All Are Welcome Habitat for Humanity has an open-door policy: All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion.
As a matter of policy, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations do not proselytize. This means that Habitat will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must either adhere to or convert to a particular faith, or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.
About Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity Founded in 1990, Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity is one of over 2000 affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International. We are a nonprofit, ecumenical, Christian housing organization committed to helping hard-working Idaho families construct and finance a home of their own.
Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We all work in support of families who invest hundreds of “partnership hours” in preparation for successful homeownership.
Twenty-five percent of the unpledged plate offering (each Sunday in July) will go to this cause. If you want a hundred percent to go to Habitat, write Social Justice in the memo line of your check or use the giving envelopes in the seatback pockets and be sure to mark Social Justice.
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BUUF Refugee and Immigrant Ministry – What is it?
As co-chair of the BUUF Refugee and Immigrant Ministry I have been offered many opportunities to learn and work with the refugee and immigrant communities. At the last meeting we heard from ACLU about a statewide educational presentation called “Know Your Rights”. This presentation gives people guidance on what to do if stopped by the police, immigrant agent or FBI. The ACLU is also developing an Immigrant Rights Coalition.
We also heard from people from the refugee community discussing engagement opportunities with refugees. Following are some opportunities discussed:
– Projects with refugee organizations i.e. tutoring, transportation, etc.
– Islamic Center of Boise events
– Walking Together International Walks
As a member of the ministry, I and another member are tutoring refugee women who are taking the citizenship test. In June we had the privilege of attending the citizenship ceremony for one of the women we tutored. What an exciting moment to witness her taking the oath to become a citizen!
This and much more is what you can experience by being part of the Refugee and Immigrant Ministry. If you want more information give me a call. I would be happy to talk with you about how to become part of this important work.
205-587-4806
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BUUF Social Action Affinity Group Forming
Attention Everyone,
Are you looking for a way to help people on an international level? Would you be interested in reading through people’s stories, deciding to help them, and then hearing their success stories? We are starting a BUUF Social action Affinity group in support of Kiva international. We will look for ways to raise money including donations to BUUF, then we will use that money in order to loan money to people in underdeveloped parts of the world advance their lives. We can look by country, refugee status, male, female, and other ethnic breakdowns.
Here is how it works: Kiva International has a web page that has thousands of people looking for loans to buy supplies for their small shop, buy fabric or sewing machines for their tailoring business, put in a toilet for sanitary purposes, buy seed or stock for farming purposes, buy or fix fishing nets for fishing and so on. We will set up a BUUF account and manage it as a team. Loans are designated in $25 increments so donations of any size to the cause are very useful. Once you loan the money out, it gets repaid over time and you get to loan it out and help others all over again. We will also encourage members of the team and the congregation to set up their own accounts and do the same (the disadvantage there is that the money you loan is not tax deductible while money donated to BUUF and used in our BUUF Kiva is).
We will also meet with other affinity groups and RE / youth groups throughout the year to encourage participation in this exciting event. So far at least one BUUF member has agreed to provide some SEED money for this activity.
If we have enough early interest we will have an organizational meeting in early August, if this doesn’t work, we will aim for early September so please respond either by email to Dave or by snail mail to 5420 W Tivoli, Boise, 83703. We also have a presentation on how Kiva works- please email or mail and I will send you the presentation.
Miriam and David Woito
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Questions to Wrestle With on Honesty
from Soul Matters Sharing Circle
As always, treat these questions and an opportunity to reflect on your own spiritual life. You do not need to engage with every single one, find the one that hooks you and spend time with it. Write it on a few post-it notes and hang them around your house or office, spend some time journaling, then let it take you on a ride. Allow it to regularly break into–and break open–your ordinary thoughts. These are some of the questions our Chalice Circles (small group ministry) use in their monthly gatherings.
1. Who gets the real you? And is it the person you want to get the real you?
2. As you get older, are you more honest with yourself or less?
3. Did your parents steer you rightly or wrongly when it comes to lying and telling the truth? Were their example and lessons good ones or bad ones? And most importantly, what have you done with that legacy?
4. How is your body dealing with your lies?
There’s no getting around it: our relationship with honesty and lies affects our body. Our honesty or lack thereof leads to smoking, drinking, buying too much, eating too much, even paying doctors to surgically alter how we look. How’s your body holding up in the midst of your dance with inner truth?
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Poetry for the Soul
1952
by Naomi Shihad Nye
When sleepless, it’s helpful to meditate on mottoes of the states.
South Carolina, “While I breathe I hope.” Perhaps this could be
the new flag on the empty flagpole.
Or “I Direct” from Maine-why?
Because Maine gets the first sunrise? How bossy, Maine!
Kansas, “To the Stars through Difficulties”-
clackety wagon wheels, long, long land
and the droning press of heat-cool stars, relief.
In Arkansas, “The People Rule”-lucky you.
Idaho, “Let It Be Perpetual”-now this is strange.
Idaho, what is your “it”?
Who chose these lines?
How many contenders?
What would my motto be tonight, in tangled sheets?
Texas-“Friendship”-now boasts the Open Carry law.
Wisconsin, where my mother’s parents are buried,
chose “Forward.”
New Mexico, “It Grows As It Goes”-now this is scary.
Two dangling its. This does not represent that glorious place.
West Virginia, “Mountaineers Are Always Free”-really?
Washington, you’re wise.
What could be better than “By and By”?
Oklahoma must be tired-“Labor Conquers all Things.”
Oklahoma, get together with Nevada, who chose only
“Industry” as motto. I think of Nevada as a playground
or mostly empty. How wrong we are about one another.
For Alaska to pick “North to the Future”
seems odd. Where else are they going?
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